Asian Theatre Journal, vol. 33, no. 1 (Spring 2016). © 2016 by University of Hawai‘i Press. All rights reserved. Dramatizing 1Malaysia in Contemporary Chinese Lion Dance Loo Fung Ying and Loo Fung Chiat This article looks into the evolution of the diasporic Chinese lion dance in Malaysia. More importantly, it examines how this traditional art genre stands out among the many other genres that have withstood extinction. Although once regarded as foreign to the national culture in Malaysia due to its identity as a Chinese folk art, it was first threatened, but not abandoned. Malaysia eventually responded by merging the northern and southern lion styles and developing a World Lion Dance Championship. This paper will elaborate on the origin of the lion dance, and examine its changes that may be fac- tors in its sustainability. More importantly, the article examines the political concept of 1Malaysia introduced by Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak in 2008 that has brought a paradigm shift to the lion dance in aiming for national unity. Kun Seng Keng Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe’s practice exemplifies this phenomenon. Loo Fung Ying, a senior lecturer at Cultural Centre, University of Malaya, is a com- poser and music arranger in Malaysia. Her research interest includes Chinese musi- cal theatre, Chinese music, and the application of tai chi to the physicality of music performance. Loo Fung Chiat, a senior lecturer at the Department of Music, Universiti Putra Malaysia, is a composer and music arranger in Malaysia. Her publications focus on audience study, music analysis, and performance practice. Today’s diverse performing arts environment—despite cries of cultural hegemony or disparagement as commodity indulgence— depicts an unlimited border crossing in processes and practices. Schol- ars in folklore and ethnomusicology and cultural activists call for the preservation of intangible indigenous cultural products in the face